Warmth
by zoopdedo
Summary: A human AU where Marceline is a 6-year old homeless child, and Bonnibel is some stranded lady who's car has been stolen by her drinking buddies. Mama Bonnie, little Marcy.


"What're you lookin' at?"

She struggled to sink deeper into the poor excuse for a sweater, bits of gravel and glass digging uncomfortably into her thighs as she slid them up to her chest. The warmth provided there did almost nothing as well, if possible resulting in her becoming even more chilled at the loss of the meager amount of warm air she had gathered in the first place. Head irritably tucked down, and eyes casted away, the raggedy man finally gave a sneer before stalking away.

As the footsteps faded to nothing, she cautiously peered upwards, sighing in relief at the loss of the stranger –yet continuing to squeeze her folded legs closer to her shivering figure. "S'cold," came a single mumble, the small voice rasped through a parched throat.

And as evening turned to dusk, and dusk finally became nightfall, the girl was at last shrouded into the covert of shadows.

The alleyway, dangerous as supposed and truly stood, happened to be her bedroom. Scattered beer bottles and random pieces of metal were her toys, as she would often find herself playing and talking to them. The passing by men were her playmates, learning to play hide-and-go seek and tag alongside them and their other friends –the police. Food came from the abhorrent bins of metal adjacent to her, although sometimes under other certain occasions having to be "borrowed" from other people.

And yet, this was her life. Simple and frail. Cold and arid. Bitter and saturnine. Enough to saturate the strongest of hopes into nothing more than a shriveled piece of dank paper.

Still, her body required rest. And her eyes, having been strained all day, craved to be shut. So, slowly –very _very_ slowly, the lids to her eyes drifted downwards. Breathing softened, crisped winter air inhaled ignored as the gears to her mind and form relaxed to the best of their ability. Her head slouching deeper into her knees, noises of the city life fading to a blur, and gradually bit by bit…subconscious beginning to take over…eyes now being fully clos-

"Don't you _dare_ shit with me _anymore_ Finn!"

Her mind was snapped awake; panic and instinct combined together, both willing her to immediately shuffle towards the dumpsters to her side, successfully obscuring herself even more from the approaching strangers eyes.

"I swear to God, if you guys don't get your asses back over here with _my_ car, I will _personally_ see to both your licensees being revoked!"

Over the sound of her pounding heart came the clinking of heels, closer and closer as they neared. Soon there was a staticy laughter, the swishing of a coat, and then–the woman. Standing directly in front of her, back facing the young girl as she chose (unluckily on the child's behalf) to plant herself firmly in that particular spot, leaning her back on the dumpsters edge.

"Finn, Jake –whoever's got the phone right now. Both of your should be well aware that we are all _way_ too old for this. Now, pick me up by the street with the weird hair salon or so help me-"

She paused, the other recipients interrupting her speech. Soon, the static laughter projected itself once more from the apple device, bringing an exasperated huff of anger from the mysterious woman.

"Finn!" this time her voice resembled more to pleading. "C'mon man! I'm freezing my bonkers off in this…oh he did not. He _did_ _not_!" She stomped her foot in frustration, unknowingly causing the life form behind her to recoil in fright. "Oh they are _so_ going to get it."

Phone shoved hastily into her coats pocket, she focused her attention back to the edge of the alleyway where the brightly lit road could be seen, pushing off from the dumpster and facing herself towards the street. An abrupt shiver ran through her spine at the sudden realization of her being in an alleyway. An _alleyway_. _Ringa Ding Ding!_ The uneasy alarms within her head were finally beginning to go off, senses nearly screaming that _someone_ was watching her.

And out of complete and _utter_ instinct, just to quell the uncomfortably paranoid feeling that had gathered in her stomach, she glanced down to her right.

Three heartbeats passed.

"Fuck!" the woman shouted, jumping backwards and managing to catch her heeled boots onto a glass bottle, slipping and falling heavily onto her backside. On the other side of her fallen position was the deathly still girl –body frozen in place and limbs refusing to budge.

She was discovered –horrified and in _danger_.

"Um, hello?" the disheveled woman finally came to say, her pink dyed hair now coming messily over her shoulder as she sat up, wincing and rubbing her backside. "Ouch, that's gonna bruise ma butt."

Perhaps under normal circumstances the young child would have cracked up to a "butt" reference, however these were not normal circumstances. This was a stranger, unknown and possibly posing as a threat. A stranger –whose body was slowly inching its way towards herself. A stranger –who was now practically looming over her, if possible casting an even darker shadow over her curled position.

"Arrreee you alright?" awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck, completely unaware of her daunting position over the girl. "I mean –you _look_ kinda cold. And, well, it _is_ freezing. And your sweater doesn't really look like it's doing a good job at keeping you warm in any way at all possible. Seriously, even with my jacket on I still feel pretty cold so you must be having it…" and as the woman continued her nervous rambling, she hadn't even noticed what she had been doing until a chilly breeze swept through her now coat-less figure.

The child seemed genuinely surprised as the warm coat was draped over her, nearly melting into the previous body heat that had occupied the garment.

"I'm Bonnibel by the way," and the child looked back up, astonishment still present on her expression. This baffling woman –who in heavens name gives their coat (and an expensive one by the looks of it) to some random homeless kid? But before she could give any response whatsoever, whether it be friendly or aggressive, there was a shout that startled them both.

"Hey!" it was the same tattered man, standing with a crazed grin at the opposite end of the alleyway. Even from their distance, the woman could clearly sense a troublesome aura radiating strongly off the man's being. "Pretty laaaady~! Don't move girl I'll be right with you!"

Before the child even had a chance to bolt away, there were suddenly hands all over her. She could only manage a small squeak as she found herself lifted and gliding away, face and legs shoved closely to the woman's chest as she sprinted away.

"Ey' where you goin' lady!" his voice reverberated through the corridor, sounding alarmingly closer than before. His thumping footsteps contrasted with the clanking of her heels, hard breathes as she glanced backwards at the gaining man, then back down at the tightly grasping child.

 _Stupid heels, stupid boobs, stupid feminine qualities dragging me down…_

And _finally_ , a stroke of luck. Emerging from the darkened alleyway and onto the harshly lit street, a familiar car screeched to a decisive halt directly facade to her. Hands shaking, she grabbed onto the handle to the backseat and yanked it open, throwing herself in while still carefully cradling the child.

"Step on it Finn!" she shouted, catching only a glimpse of the man coming out from the shrouds of shadows as the car was floored, his enraged expression cut off as the door was slammed shut from the sudden speed.

"Yo yo yo! DaaaMN PB!" the red haired man gawked, staring hard at his rear view mirror. "Who the hell was that guy? He sure don' look happy."

She was still breathing hard, quivering while subconsciously hugging the trembling girl closer. _Way_ too close in her opinion.

"Dunno man," shifting from her side and onto her back, letting her head thump to the seat. "But he was totally bonkers in the brain."

"Well good thing we showed up when we did!" the blond haired man enthusiastically dropped in, scratching his chiseled beard nonchalantly while holding onto the steering wheel with one hand. "You could always count on us Peebs ! Amirite? Tell me I'm right Jake!"

"Oh you're right dude! Totally just saved your ex-girlfriends life!"

"Hell ya!"

"Hell ya ma maaan!"

If it hadn't have been for the girl atop her chest, Bonnibel would have surely smacked some sense into the two men by now. "Don't mind those two," she kindly pointed out to the frazzled girl who seemed to be trying to recuperate herself. "They may appear kinda' crazy, but there fairly sweet once you get to know them."

And despite the incredibly hazardous situation the child thought to be in at the moment, she couldn't stop a giggle from escaping her lips.

"Sooo, may I have your name now?"

Hesitation. Then, a timid, yet unwavering voice was at last projected.

"Marceline."

"Ah, Marceline," she smacked her lips, tasting the name on her tongue and earning a further giggle from the girl. "Quite the lovely name my dear."

"Yo PB? Ya takin' to yourself back there or something?" Jake chuckled, turning to look back at her for himself. She was sitting up now, holding some sort of –bundle of clothing between her thighs? But as he squinted harder, a frazzle of messy hair soon became apparent. Then a pair of torn shoes and small pale hands. And finally, with a turn of her hands, the most piercing brown gaze he had ever laid eyes on.

Streams of vulgar language flew through his head, lasting roughly ten seconds at max.

"Oh she's pretty cute."

The little girl blushed, ducking her head back into Bonnibels hold.

"Jake, are you trying to hit on PB or somethin'? C'mon man, you've got a girlfriend. That's just weird."

"Naw dude. She's got some little kid with her. I was calling her cute."

"Oh. Okay."

A moment of silence went by before the car swiveled into the adjacent lane. "Wait what?!" he craned his head backwards, attempting to get a look at the child. "Whatd'ya mean she's got a kid with her?"

"Finn!" Bonnibel shouted, pointing to the street ahead. "Focus on the road!"

"Huh?" he whirled back around, "Oh my fuckin'glob!" jerking the wheel back onto the right lane and hardly skimming the blaring oncoming truck. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa ho ho ho-o-o-o! Whoa! That…"

"…was…"

"… _awesome!_ " they finished in unison.

While Bonnibel allowed herself to exhale the held in breath, Marceline found herself smiling like a –well, child. Six years old as she stood, not having an opportunity at enjoying the luxury of a normal childhood. Subjected to the cold streets of the city –managing to dodge and escape every "nice place" (as the orphanage workers had put it). Just like her mother instructed.

"You two are nothing but complete idiots," Bonnibel's scolding, yet soft voice cut through her thoughts. Ah, yes. Then there was this woman. This lady, this random and strange lady, this "Bonnibel" creature –whose hands were currently holding the child firmly in place. One of her arms were resting around the child's stomach, the other hand ruffling atop the girls head –both bringing her deeper into her torso. Surely Marceline could have easily escaped; a simple bite to the arm would have indubitably been able to dislodge the woman's grip. But–the contentment felt was just overwhelming on her systems. The satisfaction of finally relaxing that never ending tension in her back, and the smile that tugged at her lips when that arm came to hug her closer.

It was so unfamiliar, and _hell_ did she love it.

The three continued to bicker, maybe even coming to talk to her once or twice. The words "homeless", "skinny" and "child" seemed to stand out beyond the rest of the terms spoke, but that was about it. Because _goodness_ , Marceline found herself practically dissolving into the sweet scent the lady carried. And admittedly, she did have to snap herself awake at some points when her eye lids seemed to sink too far down.

But finally, there came a point where Marceline's mind didn't snap awake. When she didn't allow precaution over exhaustion. When instinct failed over alertness. When she finally allowed trust over betrayal.

Because _everything_ –the woman, her body, the woolly jacket that didn't even belong to her. _Everything_.

Was just…so.

Damn.

 _Warm._

 _/_

* * *

 **Oneshot cuz I'm lazy.**

 **._.**


End file.
